On Purpose

Have you ever wondered why some people, despite the challenges they face, their limited educational backgrounds, limited access to resources and seemingly insurmountable challenges turn out to be more successful than their educated counterparts with privileged backgrounds? Have you ever wondered how they are able to start from scratch, from nothing, with nothing and attain staggering heights of success that their privileged counterparts can only dream about? The answer is simple - they had a different mind-set. It is not the facts or challenges that face us that are important; rather it is the choices we make and the mind-set we choose to have in spite of those challenges that determine success or failure. I frankly believe that success has little to do with lucky breaks and far more to do with the mind-set of the individual; while I do admit that many a successful people had been in the right place at the right time; I will contend that majority of those who achieved success often started off with very little and "made their own luck" by having the right mind-set, commitment, discipline and hard work. The catch however is that often times, the right mind-set, the commitment and the hard work that yield success just don't turn up on their own; something else has to bring them alive and that is a sense of purpose. Developing a sense of purpose has the potential to be a powerful game changer. Taking the time to find out what our purpose is can save us years of misery and failed attempts and propel us towards true success much faster. I often find that when people have not determined their true purpose, they often go from one goal to another without really achieving anything concrete. It is purpose that aligns all of our thoughts, decisions and actions and creates that powerful focal point at which all of our energies can be directed. A purpose is not simply a mere goal such owning a bigger house, a business, taking a trip overseas etc. A purpose is a goal so big that when it is achieved or in the process of achieving it, it not only changes your own life, but it positively impacts the lives of those around you. An example of such a purpose is leaving behind a legacy that will change the lives of those to come after you, your grandkids for example. I know it sounds like a lofty ideal, given that many of us are caught in survival mode, day in day out with little time to think of ourselves not to mention descendants - but you see therein lies the problem. Unless our lives mean something far greater than us and unless we are aiming for something far greater than ourselves, we will forever remain focused on the small picture. Many make the mistake of thinking of their businesses or careers as their purpose. By viewing the business or career as the ultimate goal, we place a limit on the potential of that business and ourselves. However, by viewing our business or career as a vehicle to fulfill our greater purpose, suddenly our vision becomes expanded and everything takes on a much bigger picture. The business or career stops becoming the ultimate goal and become a cog in a much larger wheel. By creating a purpose far greater than ourselves, we raise the expectations for our lives and as a consequence, our efforts, beliefs rise in line with those expectations.   So, what is your purpose? With kind regards,

Dieter Langenecker PS: If you want personal support in uncovering and implementing your life's purpose visit  Personal Mentoring PPS. For free resources go here

Jack Welch, Steven Jobs, Seth Godin. Oh, and success

Good stuff I found recently:

Steve Jobs explains the rules for success

 

Seth Godin on "Habits":

The habit of being easily persuaded by mass media
The habit of doing it right instead of doing it over
The habit of responding to nastiness with nastiness
The habit of failing to trust people who care
The habit of wasting time in meetings
The habit of being on time
The habit of avoiding things that cause fear
The habit of reading ahead
The habit of doing more than promised
The habit of expanding personal knowledge and experience
The habit of skepticism
The habit of close talking
The habit of generosity...

There's a million habits out there, some good, some bad, all learned.

Every habit (your market, your family, your organization has) was formed because people got rewarded for it, at least in the short run.

The thing is, every habit is changeable with effort.

  

What it Really Takes to Succeed by Jack Welch

The modern marketplace demands that people possess a wide range of skills. But what core qualities are truly essential to career advancement, regardless of industry or job?

The answer could fill a book and it has, thousands of times, if not more. Myriad experts claim that career advancement is a function of everything from extreme self-confidence to extreme humility (or both at once). Still others make the case that big-time professional success derives from more sinister behaviors, such as callous ambition or unfettered narcissism. And then there is the whole "positive thinking" bandwagon, which claims that getting ahead is primarily a function of believing you can. In sum, there's so much contradictory advice out there about the core components of success that it's enough to reduce you to a weary sigh of: "Whatever."

Which is just fine. Because we'd suggest that you can't really manipulate yourself into success with personality tweaks or even major overhauls. In fact, we'd say just the opposite. The most powerful thing you can do is, well, be real. As in not phony. As in grappling, sweating, laughing, and caring. As in authentic.

Yes, yes, we know the upper echelon of the corporate world has its share of slick super achievers who appear simultaneously all-knowing and unknowable. They're cool, poised, almost digitally enhanced in their affect. But such bloodless executives, even the most technically skilled ones, rarely reach the highest heights. They're just too remote to move people. They can manage, but they can't motivate. Continue reading ...

With kind regards, 

  

   Dieter Langenecker

PS: If you want personal support in uncovering and implementing your life's purpose visit  Personal Mentoring

PPS. For free resources go here

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE MEDIOCRE PEOPLE

Ever since I've met Viktor Frankl as a student (too long ago as to mention the years) I keep on asking clients to define "success". Most reply either  in general terms, like "I want to happy", or start listing the classical examples like job, position, recognition, money, leaving something great behind, fame, etc.

Few ever become a "success story" though. But since the marketing machinery of our culture is very well functioning telling us what we should aim for in our lifes, and how we should live, most still go along with the rat-race concept.

Life-benchmarking, comparing ourselves with the stars, is still the prevailing force in our culture. To be mediocre, below average, compared to "friends", peers and neighbours, means to have failed.

Really?

I came across this wonderful article by James Altucher about "aiming for grandiosity is the fastest route to failure"; but have a look and judge yourself:

  

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE MEDIOCRE PEOPLE

I'm pretty mediocre. I'm ashamed to admit it. I'm not even being sarcastic or self-deprecating. I've never done anything that stands out. No "Whoa! This guy made it into outer space!" or, "This guy has a best selling novel!" or, "If only Google had thought of this!" I've had some successes and some failures but never reached any of the goals I had initially set. Always slipped off along the way, off the yellow brick road, into the wilderness.

I've started a bunch of companies. Sold some. Failed at most. I've invested in a bunch of startups. Sold some. Failed at some, and the jury is still sequestered on a few others. I've written some books, most of which I no longer like. I can tell you overall, though, everything I have done has been distinguished by its mediocrity, its lack of a grand vision, and any success I've had can be put just as much in the luck basket as the effort basket.

That said, all people should be so lucky. We can't all be grand visionaries. We can't all be Picassos. We want to make our business, make our art, sell it, make some money, raise a family, and try to be happy. My feeling, based on my own experience, is that aiming for grandiosity is the fastest route to failure. For every Mark Zuckerberg, there are 1000 Jack Zuckermans. Who is Jack Zuckerman? I have no idea. That's my point. If you're Jack Zuckerman and you're reading this, I apologize. You aimed for the stars and missed. Your reentry into the atmosphere involved a broken heat shield, and you burned to a crisp by the time you hit the ocean. Now we have no idea who you are.

If you want to get rich, sell your company, have time for your hobbies, raise a halfway decent family (with mediocre children), and enjoy the sunset with your wife on occasion. 

Here are some of my highly effective recommendations.

Procrastinate. In between the time I wrote the last sentence and the time I wrote this one, I played (and lost) a game of chess. My king and my queen got forked by a knight. But hey, that happens. Fork me once, shame on me.

Procrastination is your body telling you you need to back off a bit and think more about what you're doing. When you procrastinate as an entrepreneur, it could mean that you need a bit more time to think about what you're pitching a client. It could also mean you're doing work that is not your forte and that you'd be better off delegating. I find that many entrepreneurs are trying to do everything when it would be cheaper and more time-efficient to delegate, even if there are monetary costs associated with that. In my first business, it was like a lightbulb went off in my head the first time I delegated a programming job to someone other than me. At that time, I went out on a date. Which was infinitely better than sweating all night on some stupid programming bug (thank you, Chet, for solving that issue).

Try to figure out why you're procrastinating.  ...continue reading

So what is your take? Hit the reply button and let me know your opinion!

The Four Habits that Form Habits

My daughter wants to work out more, but she has a hard time forming the habit (many of you might be familiar with this problem). From having to get dressed to go to the gym, to actually going to the gym, to the thought of a hard workout ... our minds tend to put off the habit.

The solution is exceedingly simple: just do 3 pushups. Or tell yourself you have to walk/jog for just one minute.

Make it so easy you can't say no.

Of course, most people will think that's too easy, and tell themselves they have to do more than that. Leo's advice is for other people! Unfortunately, it's this mindset that causes people to fail at habits - we think we can do more, despite past evidence to the contrary, and so we aspire to greatness. We try to climb Everest before we've learned to walk.

Learn the fundamentals of habits before you try to do the advanced skills. If I could convince people of that, I could get millions to change their habits, be healthier, simplify, procrastinate less, start creating amazing things.

Today we're going to go over the fundamentals of habit - four key habits to form habits. If you can learn these four habits, you'll have the foundation to form pretty much any habit.

Habit 1: Start Exceedingly Small

Another common habit that too few people actually do is flossing daily. So my advice is just floss one tooth the first night.

Of course, that seems to ridiculous most people laugh. But I'm totally serious: if you start out exceedingly small, you won't say no. You'll feel crazy if you don't do it. And so you'll actually do it!

That's the point. Actually doing the habit is much more important than how much you do.

If you want to exercise, it's more important that you actually do the exercise on a regular basis, rather than doing enough to get a benefit right away. Sure, maybe you need 30 minutes of exercise to see some fitness improvements, but try doing 30 minutes a day for two weeks. See how far you get, if you haven't been exercising regularly. Then, if you don't succeed, try 1-2 minutes a day. See how far you get there.

If you can do two weeks of 1-2 minutes of exercise, you have a strong foundation for a habit. Add another week or two, and the habit is almost ingrained. Once the habit is strong, you can add a few minutes here and there. Soon you'll be doing 30 minutes on a regular basis - but you started out really small.

Try the flossing habit - try to floss every tooth every night, and see how far you get. You might succeed ... but if you fail, try just one tooth per night and see how far you get. Your mileage will vary, but on average most people get farther with a habit when they start small.

One glass of water a day. One extra vegetable. Three pushups. One sentence of writing a day. Two minutes of meditation. This is how you start a habit that lasts.

Habit 2: ... continue reading

Change occurs GRADUALLY, not all at once!

One of the most pervasive beliefs I see that stops people from manifesting their purpose and their goals is that change and inspiration is this huge quantum moment that happens all at once.  It's just not true. Change happens one day, one moment, one step at a time. It's 10,000 small steps that add up to a big leap. The good news is that all you need to do right now is take one step. The  tough news is that there's a BUNCH of these small steps that you need to take to make the transformation you are dreaming about a reality. Sorry. It's not the best news in the world, but what's rad is that all you need to  do is focus on the next step. Not the third step, or the 100th step, just the next one. Life is all about just putting one foot in front of the other and taking that step. That step is what it's all about it. The NEXT one. I'm all about just doing the next step. Sure, I plan and plan. But I only ACT one step at a time. It's SO easy to get caught up in the hypothetical outcomes that we never actually take  action. I truly believe that inspiration doesn't just come; it usually comes as a byproduct of taking action. It's in the action that we learn and change course. It's in the action that we reality test and see which strategies work and which don't. It's in the action that we become more, we learn, we grow and we eventually make our dreams come true. So many people think that this will happen all at once on one magical day. That's not how it works. It's a process, and sometimes a slow one at that, because The Divine needs to prepare us to live our best lives. And that sometimes means trials, setbacks and suffering - not as punishment, but as preparation for truly being able to give our gifts to the world. The BIG goal happens one step, one moment and one action at a time. What's your next step?   With kind regards,

Dieter Langenecker

Ask Dieter starting today

Ask Dieter is a no-cost, monthly program (starting today) where anyone seeking personal development can ask Dieter any question.

The idea is this:

A challenge being faced by one is certainly being faced by many, and so it is via this shared experience that we may raise the consciousness of community to lift us all.

Here’s how it works:

Each month, Dieter will select and personally respond to one question received via http://langenecker.com/askdieter.html

Every 2nd Saturday of the month, Dieter’s response will then be delivered via email broadcast to Dieter’s LIfeMentoring Letter subscribers, as well as being posted on this Blog, so that all of us may benefit from the insight, advice, and direction given. (If you are not a subscriber to the free Dieter Langenecker Lifementoring Letter yet you may want to subscribe here)

Submit your question(s) now, Dieter is going to respond to all of them; and the first one to be answered publicly will be published here April 13th (If you would like to remain anonymous, we will respectfully support you in doing so).

To learn more about Ask Dieter and to submit your question(s) go to http://langenecker.com/askdieter.html

"Conventional Econmics is a form of brain damage"

"Economists say, if you clearcut the forests and put [the money] in the bank, you could make 6 or 7 percent. If you cut down the forests and put it into Malaysia or Papua New Guinea, you could make 30 or 40 percent. So, who cares whether you keep the forest, cut it down [and] put the money somewhere else! When those forests are gone, put it in fish; when the fish are gone, put it in computers. Money doesn't stand for anything, and money now grows faster than the real world. 

Economics is so fundamentally disconnected from the real world, it is destructive. If you take an introductory course in economics, the professor—in the first lecture—will show a slide of the economy, and it looks very impressive. They try and impress you, because they know damn well that economics is not a science, but they're trying to fool us into thinking that it's a real science; it's not. 

Economics is [just] a set of values, and [they] use mathematical equations and pretend that it's a science. But, if you ask the economist, 'in that equation, where do you put the ozone layer? Where do you put the deep, underground aquifers? Where do you put top soil or biodiversity?', their answer is 'oh, those are externalities.' Well, then you might as well be on Mars! That economy's not based [on] anything like the real world. It's life, the web of life, that filters water, it's microorganisms in the soil that create the soil we can grow our food in…insects fertilize all of the flowering plants…nature performs all kinds of services…these services are vital to the health of the planet. Economists call these externalities; that's NUTS."

—David Suzuki

Life Mastery

I have slots for a couple more mentoring clients next month. For more information visit "Life Mastery" at http://ow.ly/j2Bvd

Tomorrow's Leader

Some years ago I came across an excellent and unusual book by Prof.Srikumar Rao called "Are YOU Ready to Succeed? Unconventional Strategies for Achieving Personal Mastery in Business and Life"; unusual, because it focuses on self-discovery rather than traditional business skills.

Today I want to give you a glimpse of his philosophy with an excerpt from an article he wrote; it is called "Tomorrow's Leader":

 

Srikumar S. Rao conceived Creativity and Personal Mastery, a pioneering course that is one of the highest-rated at Columbia Business School and London Business School. It is believed to be the only course at a top business school to have its own alumni association. He also created the Advanced Leadership Clinic, a unique and intensive leadership workshop offered to senior executives. More information on his work is available at www.areyoureadytosucceed.com.

Business is changing. Although this is hardly an original observation, what few realize is the extent to which and speed with which it is doing so.
  
What are some of the more important factors driving this change? First, the way in which business is transacted is changing. Technology-the Internet, new methods of communication, faster and more customized manufacturing, and so on-is a principal cause, but not the only one. Second, the breadth of the playing field in which business takes place is increasing enormously. A tiny bookstore in a suburb of Manila can take a sale away from Borders. Third, consumer expectations are changing, and consumers are becoming much more demanding. At the same time, employees and their expectations are changing. They expect more from work and want to contribute in different ways. Another important factor is that interdependence is becoming greater and much more complex. A U.S. company may have a research laboratory in Bangalore developing prototype products for Australia. The interdependence goes beyond business relationships to encompass governments, nongovernmental organizations, and other parts of the citizen sector. Last, the pace of change has accelerated so rapidly that size is no longer a protective buffer. Multibillion dollar companies often see their competitive positions erode within months.
  
Leadership then is a hot area for management thinkers and writers, for good reason: in this new world, our organizations-commercial, not-for-profit, and government-need leaders with different skills and a richer set of them to lead us into the future.
......
  
Let me explain.
  
I have taught a course called Creativity and Personal Mastery for many years at schools such as Columbia Business School and the London Business School, and to executives in other forums. It is a deeply introspective course, and those who take it spend enormous amounts of time contemplating the workplace and how they would like it to be. They think about leadership styles they would like to develop and what they would like to see in their hierarchical superiors.
  
Hundreds of students and executives have shared their opinions with me. Are there variations? Sure there are. But the composite picture that emerges is startlingly clear and quite unambiguous. The successful leader of the future is one who can create systems that bring into being organizations that command a deep allegiance from employees, and from others who interact with the organizations, such as customers and suppliers.
  
In discussing this new type of leader, I speak mainly from the perspective of for-profit business organizations, but intuitive changes can readily be made to adjust to the needs of other types of organizations. Also, much of what I reveal concerns organizational culture and values.
  
So what is the task that lies ahead for the successful leader of the future?
  
Set an Inspiring Mission
  
While this may not seem relevant to leadership, mission is actually crucial. The leader sets the organization's mission, and if this mission does not resonate deeply, then those being led will merely go through the motions. Many of our present organizations have exemplary missions that exist primarily in framed statements in the boardroom and in company brochures. This does not work. The mission should resonate and it should be crystal clear to all that it is indeed the guiding principle of the organization.
  
Nobody gets passionate about maximizing shareholder value, or gaining market share, or reaching market dominance, or achieving set revenues or earnings increases. In fact, a leader who puts any of these, or similar, metrics forward immediately and silently loses much support.
  
Here is what I have learned: the purpose of a business is to ensure that every person who comes into contact with it reaches his or her highest potential. This includes employees, customers, suppliers, lenders, shareholders, and the community at large.
......
  
A leader trying to formulate his or her company's mission in line with this purpose will find an unbelievable degree of engagement at all levels.
  
Pursue Profits After Mission
  
Profits are the lifeblood of a successful business. None of the people who have shared their thoughts with me have anything against healthy profits. What they are against is a primary focus on profit.
  
Viktor Frankl postulated that success and happiness cannot be pursued-they must ensue as unintended side effects of one's personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.
  
In like fashion, profits are the inevitable by-product of a business successfully run in accordance with a mission and purpose as described earlier.

......

The successful leader of the future, then, sets an inspiring mission, pursues profits secondarily to that mission, and makes sure that compensation is fair at all levels. This leader eliminates demotivating obstacles and is of service to his or her followers, not self-aggrandizing, and demonstrates a commitment to community, learning, and justice.
  
And this, my students tell me, is the sort of leader for whom they will gladly lay their heads on the rail.

(From The Organization of the Future 2. Copyright © 2009 by Leader to Leader Institute- This material is reproduced with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)


So what is your take? Send me an email and let me know your opinion!

And if you are in the process of transforming your life feel free to schedule an online conversation with me via meetme.so/dieterlangenecker anytime! 

Ask Dieter - starting this month

Ask Dieter is a no-cost, monthly program (starts March 17th, 2013) where anyone seeking personal development can ask Dieter any question.

The idea is this:

A challenge being faced by one is certainly being faced by many, and so it is via this shared experience that we may raise the consciousness of community to lift us all.

Here’s how it works:

Each month, Dieter will select and personally respond to one question received via http://langenecker.com/askdieter.html

Every 2nd Saturday of the month, Dieter’s response will then be delivered via email broadcast to Dieter’s LIfeMentoring Letter subscribers, as well as being posted on this Blog, so that all of us may benefit from the insight, advice, and direction given. (If you are not a subscriber to the free Dieter Langenecker Lifementoring Letter yet you may want to subscribe here)

Submit your question(s) now, Dieter is going to respond to all of them; and the first one to be answered publicly will be published here April 13th (If you would like to remain anonymous, we will respectfully support you in doing so).

To learn more about Ask Dieter and to submit your question(s) go to http://langenecker.com/askdieter.html

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How can we overcome fear?

Why do we feel fear? What is its basis? In a short video, Sadhguru talks about fear, explaining its root cause and telling us how we can become free from it.

Stop Focusing on Your Performance

The night before our wedding, Eleanor and I stood awkwardly in the center of a large room, surrounded by our family and our closest friends. There was no particular reason to be uncomfortable; this was just a rehearsal. Still, we were in the spotlight and things weren't going smoothly. Neither the rabbi nor the cantor had arrived and we didn't know where to stand, what to say, or what to do.

It had taken us 11 years — and a lot of work — to get to this point. Eleanor is Episcopalian, the daughter of a deacon, and I am Jewish, the son of a Holocaust survivor. The one thing our parents agreed about before the wedding was that we shouldn't get married.

A friend of ours, Sue Anne Steffey Morrow, a Methodist minister, offered to stand in for the Jewish officiants who were absent. She moved us through the rehearsal, placing people in position, reading prayers, and lightening the mood with a few well-timed jokes.

When the rehearsal was over and we were feeling more relaxed, she offered me and Eleanor a piece of advice that remains one of the best I have ever received.

"Tomorrow hundreds of people will be watching you on the most important day of your life. Try to remember this: It's not a performance; it's an experience."

I love that she said "Try to remember this." On the surface it seems easy to remember but in reality it's almost impossibly difficult, because much of what we do feels like a performance. We're graded in school and get performance reviews at work. We win races, earn titles, receive praise, and sometimes gain fame, all because of our performance. We're paid for our performance. Even little things — leading a meeting, having a hallway conversation, sending an email — are followed by the silent but ever-present question: "How'd that go?"

In other words, we think life is a performance because, well, it kind of is. We feel ... continue reading at Harvard Business Review

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